Do you cook separate dinner for your kids?

[Anonymous]

When the kids were younger, we tried to find lowest-common-denominator meals, or have two versions of same meal (cook everything together, add hot sauce to half the batch). HOWEVER, our kids were not really picky eaters and rarely refused the meal. I also tried to make sure I got consensus prior to making the food ("We're having chicken and rice tonight, OK?"), which worked to create a sense of agency, but also a little bit backfired because consensus can get exhausting.

I do think that some kids are naturally pickier eaters and have a harder time eating regular meals, and if that were to happen, I'd probably have made some things for just kids and some kids for just adults. However, we'd still have had our meals together, I think that part is key.

[Anonymous]

One of mine (8) has never eaten red meat in her life. We don't eat much red meat either, but when we do she gets tofu or beans and grains (rice, quinoa, etc.) instead. We also modify how we cook - so not everything is covered in a sauce we know they'll hate, or we'll let them choose what type of sauce to put on pasta, or we'll steam some veggies before roasting the rest in a specific way. But they don't get a separate meal, particularly something like nuggets or mac and cheese, just because. Dietary preferences are one thing, but ours tend towards pickiness and familiar eating, so we draw firm lines and stick to them.

[Anonymous]

Before I had kids, I thought I would never make special meals for my children.

Now I have a neurodivergent toddler with major sensory issues who will only eat a handful of foods. He has stopped gaining weight. We’ve been in feeding therapy for 6 months and have made limited progress. At this point I will give my child anything he will eat.

So I don’t judge anymore. If you have to make special meals, you do that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you cook separate adult and kid meals? Mine are 5 & 7. I try to make sure there is one thing at every meal they both will eat but I don’t cook them their own dinner. Sometimes that means they don’t eat much. Is this typical?

I…attempt…to have us eat the same meal. My kids are string beans and my husband and I are more weight conscious, so I usually will do rice or pasta on the side just for the kids. If we do something really spicy or different for ourselves that we know the kids won’t eat, they get a completely separate meal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We eat the same about 3x a week because that food is essentially boring and often fattening

Chicken/rice/veggie
Steak/potato/salad
Tacos
Etc


But I don’t really want to eat boring and fattening food all the time so I make special meals for me and my h and kids eat the basics.

Why are you feeding your kids boring, fattening foods? What do you think they're going to grow up to eat?

This is such a western thing I'll never understand.

NP. Yes, only in the western world will you find a meal composed of chicken, vegetables, and rice. Excellent point.

[Anonymous]

Too tough? What no! If anything you are leaning on the side of too easy. this is one of the reasons kids are spoiled now a days bc they get catered to with their own meals.

Growing up we ate what my parents cooked for the family my parents weren’t short order cooks.

Obviously I’m not talking about allergy restrictions here.

I’m 33 years old so I’m not an 80 year old saying this.

I’m a preschool teacher and I see the spoiledness of children first hand everyday.

[Anonymous]

No they eat what we eat and we make sure there's at least one part of the meal that they will eat (usually it's the vegetables).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Too tough? What no! If anything you are leaning on the side of too easy. this is one of the reasons kids are spoiled now a days bc they get catered to with their own meals.

Growing up we ate what my parents cooked for the family my parents weren’t short order cooks.

Obviously I’m not talking about allergy restrictions here.

I’m 33 years old so I’m not an 80 year old saying this.

I’m a preschool teacher and I see the spoiledness of children first hand everyday.

So there is nothing you don’t eat?

[Anonymous]

“Cook” no. But one of my three is picky. She just doesn’t like many dinner type foods. There are about three dinners I make she will eat. Otherwise, she will eat fruit, cheese, milk, bread with peanut butter. As long as she isn’t hungry, it is nutritious, and I’m not doing additional cooking, I don’t care

[Anonymous]

My takeaway from the thread is that a lot of people who insist everyone eat the same dinner (and judge other parents for making separate meals) are eating bland meals themselves so their kids will eat the same meal as them. I don’t really see how this is any better than having an adult and kid option. I’d much rather prepare a kid and adult option since it means I get to eat what I want!

[Anonymous]

No, I don’t. One of my kids is vegetarian. We eat a lot of plant protein to accommodate (beans, lentils, tofu) and like PPs I always have something I know each of them will like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My takeaway from the thread is that a lot of people who insist everyone eat the same dinner (and judge other parents for making separate meals) are eating bland meals themselves so their kids will eat the same meal as them. I don’t really see how this is any better than having an adult and kid option. I’d much rather prepare a kid and adult option since it means I get to eat what I want!

Your takeaway doesn’t know what others are eating so you have no clue if someone is eating a bland meal or not. It’s what you wish for to be right in your own mind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My takeaway from the thread is that a lot of people who insist everyone eat the same dinner (and judge other parents for making separate meals) are eating bland meals themselves so their kids will eat the same meal as them. I don’t really see how this is any better than having an adult and kid option. I’d much rather prepare a kid and adult option since it means I get to eat what I want!

Your takeaway doesn’t know what others are eating so you have no clue if someone is eating a bland meal or not. It’s what you wish for to be right in your own mind.

My takeaway is based on what a number of people wrote in their responses ie: they don’t use spices or sauces or ingredients their kids don’t like.

[Anonymous]

I drained Ramen last night and added chopped up egg and my kid thought it was the best dinner ever lol. 5 min dinner.
We had raw veggies with it.
I don’t enjoy cooking so the least time I can spend making dinner the better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Too tough? What no! If anything you are leaning on the side of too easy. this is one of the reasons kids are spoiled now a days bc they get catered to with their own meals.

Growing up we ate what my parents cooked for the family my parents weren’t short order cooks.

Obviously I’m not talking about allergy restrictions here.

I’m 33 years old so I’m not an 80 year old saying this.

I’m a preschool teacher and I see the spoiledness of children first hand everyday.

So there is nothing you don’t eat?

There are foods I don’t eat yes but it’s too much time to cook separate meals for each child. Trust me the kids aren’t being hurt. If you expose them to different foods and that’s what they have they will eat it.

Life isn’t going to cater to every whim. That’s just the reality. What if I had snack in the classroom and little Johnny wanted cheez its but Suzy wanted graham crackers what am I supposed to go and grab a separate snack for 17 children? No that’s crazy!